Dogwood tree -- imperial white variety

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of white Flowering Dogwood, botanically known as Cornus florida is provided. The new variety most nearly resembles the native Flowering Dogwood and is distinguished therefrom by (1) the unusually large size of the solid white bracts which appear adjacent the flowers, (2) the unusually large size of the leaves, (3) a more vigorous and a more spreading growth habit, and (4) an improved drought tolerance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct variety of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) wasdiscovered and recognized to be a new variety in the Spring of 1975while growing in a cultivated boxwood bed at 911 Westwood Dr., Raleigh,N.C. 27607. The parentage of the new variety is unknown. Since othernative Flowering Dogwood trees were growing in the area, it is possiblethat the new variety may be a chance seedling resulting from seedproduced on these trees. Also, there is a possibility that the seed ofunknown origin which produced the new variety may inadvertently havebeen transported to the cultivated area where the new variety appearedwhen the adjacent boxwood plants were transplanted to the area.

Our discovery differs from the native white Flowering Dogwood by, interalia, the following combination of characteristics:

1. THE UNUSUALLY LARGE SIZE OF THE SOLID WHITE BRACTS WHICH APPEARADJACENT THE FLOWERS,

2. THE UNUSUALLY LARGE SIZE OF THE LEAVES,

3. A MORE VIGOROUS AND A MORE SPREADING GROWTH HABIT, AND

4. AN IMPROVED DROUGHT TOLERANCE.

The new variety as a young seedling has undergone temperatures as low as-5° F. with no apparent damage.

Because of the distinctive characteristics of the new variety the plantwas asexually reproduced by rooted cuttings at Raleigh, N.C. The progenybloomed in the Spring of 1976, and it has been demonstrated that theunique combination of characteristics comes true to form and isestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings show typical specimens of the new variety.

FIG. 1 illustrates the unusually large size of the leaves of the newvariety during the summer months.

FIG. 2 illustrates the overall growth habit of the original tree of thenew variety during the summer at an age of approximately 7 years.

FIG. 3 illustrates the unusually large size of the four solid whitebracts of the new variety.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description was made from plants growing at Raleigh, N.C.Color terminology employed is to be accorded its ordinary dictionarysignificance. Unless otherwise stated the new variety hascharacteristics substantially similar to those of the native FloweringDogwood.

Growth habit: Extremely vigorous as a young tree with new growth oftenachieving a length of 24 inches annually. The branching habit is morespreading than that of the native Flowering Dogwood, but less spreadingthan that of the Cloud 9 variety (i.e. U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,112).Accordingly, the new variety has a more upright growth habit than theCloud 9 variety.

Leaves: Opposite; simple; deciduous; unusually large size up toapproximately 71/4 inches in length and up to approximately 5 inches inwidth; ovate, entire; arcuately veined; absence of hair; bright greenabove; paler green beneath; turning brilliant copper red in the autumn.The leaf color during the summer appears to be identical to that of thenative Flowering Dogwood. The leaves of the native Flowering Dogwood andof the Cloud 9 variety growing in the same area are smaller. Forinstance, the leaves of the Cloud 9 variety commonly are up to 6 inchesin length and up to 4 inches in width. The unusually large leaves of thepresent variety tend to give the tree a "magnolia-like" appearanceoverall.

Flowers: Surrounded by four unusually large solid white bracts givingthe impression of one large flower having a diameter of approximately41/2 to 51/2 inches; occasionally the bracts give the impression of aflower having a diameter of 6 inches. The large white bracts are obovatein shape, notched at the apex, and form at the same time as the leaves.The bracts appear at the same time as those of the native FloweringDogwood; however, the bracts of the native Flowering Dogwood trees inthe area are substantially smaller. Additionally, the bracts of thepresent variety generally are larger than those of the Cloud 9 varietywhich commonly give the impression of flowers having a diameter of up toapproximately 4 to 41/2 inches. For each variety the individual bractlengths are approximately one-half of the specified flower diameters.Also the bract shape of the present variety tends to be different in atleast some respects than that of the Cloud 9 variety and more closelyresembles that of the native white Flowering Dogwood with one oppositepair of bracts having a broader more rounded base than the otheropposite bract pair which tends to possess a substantially non-roundedand narrower base. Conversely all four bracts of the Cloud 9 varietytend to be more uniform in shape and to possess a base of the broadermore rounded configuration. The flowers of the new variety lack anyappreciable fragrance.

Silvical character: The variety appears to be more drought tolerant thanother native Flowering Dogwood trees growing in the immediate area.

The new and distinct variety has been named the Imperial White variety.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of white Flowering Dogwood tree,botanically known as Cornus florida, substantially as illustrated anddescribed, characterized particularly as to novelty by the uniquecombination of (1) the unusually large size of solid white bracts whichappear adjacent the flowers, (2) the unusually large size of the leaves,(3) a more vigorous and a more spreading growth habit, and (4) animproved drought tolerance.